DISEASES AND IMMUNITY

Objectives:
After discussing this report, the students must:
1. Be able to familiarize their selves on different types, kinds and classification, and
causes of diseases.
2. Be aware of the deadliest disease known, its cause and its effects.
3. Be familiarized of the divisions of the immunity
4. Know the role and importance of immunity on the human body

DISEASE
Disease is a particular abnormal condition, a disorder of a structure or function which affects
part or all of an organism.
The study of disease is called pathology which includes the causal study of etiology.
4 MAJOR TYPES OF DISEASE

Pathogenic Diseases/ Infectious Agents

Deficiency Diseases
Hereditary Diseases
Physiological Diseases

Pathogenic Diseases
Diseases that are caused by pathogens and infectious agents like bacteria, fungi,
parasites, and viruses.
Examples:
1. Cholera
2. Syphilis
3. Gonorrhea

4. Pneumonia
5. Cellulitis
6. Whooping Cough

Deficiency Diseases
A disease caused by a lack of essential dietary elements and especially a vitamin or
mineral.
Examples:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.

Beriberi
Pellagra
Biotin Deficiency
Scurvy
Rickets

6. Ariboflavinosis
7. Vitamin Deficiency
8. Hypocobalaminemia
9. Paraesthesia
10. Night Blindness

Hereditary Diseases
A disease or disorder that is inherited genetically which is transmitted on generation by
generation.
Examples:
1. Down syndrome
2. Color blindness
3. Hemophilia

4. Muscular dystrophy
5. Polygenic Disorders
6. Tay Sachs Disease

Physiological Diseases
An organic disease is one caused by a physical or physiological change to some tissue
or organ of the body. It is commonly used in contrast with mental disorders.
Examples:
1. Asthma
2. Hypertension
3. Diabetes
4. Glaucoma
5. Cancers
6. Obesity
7. Cataracts
8. Scoliosis
9. Kidney Stones
10. Cirrhosis
CLASSIFICATION OF DISEASES

Communicable - an infectious disease transmissible (as from person to person) by

direct contact with an affected individual or the individual's discharges or by indirect
means.
Examples:
1. Ebola
5. Rabies
2. Hepatitis
6. Tuberculosis
3. HIV/AIDS
7. Zika virus
4. Measles
8. Sexually transmitted disease

Non-communicable - is a medical condition or disease that is by definition noninfectious and non-transmissible among people.
Examples:
1. Cancers
6. Osteoporosis
2. Chronis Diseases
7. Heart disease
3. Diabetes
8. Lung cancer
4. Hypertension
9. Leukemia
5. Alzheimers Disease
10. Seizures or epilepsy

CAUSES OF DISEASES

Airborne - spread when droplets of pathogens are expelled into the air due to coughing,
sneezing or talking.
Examples:
1. Anthrax
2. Chickenpox
3. Influenza

4.
5.
6.
7.

Measles
Smallpox
Cryptococcosis
Tuberculosis

Infectious - liable to be transmitted to people, organisms, etc. through the environment.

Examples:

1. Leptospirosis
2. Cholera
3. Dengue
4. Malaria
5. Meningitis
Contagious - spread from one person or organism to another by direct or indirect contact
Examples:
1. AIDS (Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome)
2. HIV (Human Immunodeficiency Syndrome)
3. Hepatitis B
4. Tuberculosis

Food Borne - is any illness resulting from the food spoilage of contaminated food,
pathogenic bacteria, viruses, or parasites that contaminate food, as well as chemical or
natural toxins such as poisonous mushrooms and various species of beans that have not
been boiled for at least 10 minutes.
Examples:
1. Perfringens food poisoning
2. Intestinal cryptosporidiosis
3. E. Coli Infection
4. Hepatitis A
5. Listeriosis

Lifestyle - A disease associated with the way a person or group of people lives. Lifestyle
diseases include atherosclerosis, heart disease, and stroke; obesity and type 2 diabetes;
and diseases associated with smoking and alcohol and drug abuse.
Examples:
1. Obesity
2. Diabetes
3. Heart disease
4. Liver cirrhosis
5. Chronic Backache
6. Anxiety Disorders

TYPES OF DISEASES
Body System

Mental - Mental illness is a broad, generic label for a category of illnesses that may include
affective or emotional instability, behavioral dysregulation, cognitive dysfunction or
impairment. Specific illnesses known as mental illnesses includes:
o major depression
o generalized anxiety disorders
o schizophrenia, and
o attention deficit hyperactivity disorder
o Bipolar disorders
o Postpartum depression
o Feeding and eating disorders
o Sexual and paraliphic disorders
o Sleep and wake disorders
o Childhood Disorders

Mental illness can be of biological (e.g., anatomical, chemical, or genetic) or psychological

(e.g., trauma or conflict) origin. It can impair the affected person's ability to work or study and can
harm interpersonal relationships.

Organic - An organic disease is one caused by a physical or physiological change to some

tissue or organ of the body.
Examples:
1. Asthma
2. Hypertension
3. Diabetes
4. Glaucoma
5. Cancers
6. Obesity
7. Cataracts
8. Scoliosis
9. Kidney Stones
10. Cirrhosis

Stages

Incubation period is the time between infection and the appearance of symptoms.
Latency period is the time between infection and the ability of the disease to spread to
another person, which may precede, follow, or be simultaneous with the appearance of
symptoms.
Viral latency, in which the virus hides in the body in an inactive state. For
example, varicella zoster virus causes chickenpox in the acute phase; after recovery from
chickenpox, the virus may remain dormant in nerve cells for many years, and later
cause herpes zoster.

Acute disease
An acute disease is a short-lived disease, like the common cold.
Examples:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.

Breaking a bone
Burn
Strep throat
Flu
Asthma attack
Heartburn
Common Cold

Chronic disease
A chronic disease is one that lasts for a long time, usually at least six months. During that
time, it may be constantly present, or it may go into remission and periodically relapse. A chronic
disease may be stable (does not get any worse) or it may be progressive (gets worse over time).
Some chronic diseases can be permanently cured. Most chronic diseases can be beneficially
treated, even if they cannot be permanently cured.
Examples:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.

Osteoporosis
Frequent Migraines
Kidney Disease
Coronary artery disease
Epilepsy
HIV
Rheumatoid arthritis
Parkinsons Disease

Flare-up
A flare-up can refer to either the recurrence of symptoms or an onset of more severe
symptoms.
Refractory disease
A refractory disease is a disease that resists treatment, especially an individual case that
resists treatment more than is normal for the specific disease in question.
Example:
1. Leukemia

Progressive disease
Progressive disease is a disease whose typical natural course is the worsening of the
disease until death, serious debility, or organ failure occurs. Slowly progressive diseases are also
chronic diseases; many are also degenerative diseases. The opposite of progressive disease is
stable disease or static disease: a medical condition that exists, but does not get better or worse.
Examples:
1. Alzheimers disease
2. Atherosclerosis
3. Cancer
4. Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary
Clinical disease
One that has clinical consequences, i.e., the stage of the disease that produces the
characteristic signs and symptoms of that disease. AIDS is the clinical disease stage of HIV
infection.
Subclinical disease
Also called silent disease, silent stage, or asymptomatic disease. This is a stage in some
diseases before the symptoms are first noted.
Examples:
1. Diabetes
2. Hypothyroidism
3. Rheumatoid athritis
Terminal phase
If a person will die soon from a disease, regardless of whether that disease typically causes
death, then the stage between the earlier disease process and active dying is the terminal phase.

IMMUNITY
Immunity is the body's ability to fight off harmful micro-organisms that invade it. It is the
state of being immune from or insusceptible to a particular disease or the like.
The immune system is typically divided into two categories innate and adaptive:

Two Types of Immunity

1. Innate or Natural Immunity
Innate immunity refers to nonspecific defense mechanisms that come into play
immediately or within hours of antigens appearance in the body. These mechanisms
include physical barriers such as skin, chemicals in the blood, and immune system cells
that attack foreign cells in the body.
The healthy individual is protected from potentially harmful micro-organisms in the
environment by a number of effective mechanisms, present from birth, that do not depend
upon prior exposure to any particular microorganism.
2. Adaptive or Acquired Immunity
Adaptive Immunity refers to antigen-specific immune response. The adaptive
immune response is more complex than the innate. The antigen first must be processed
and recognized. Once an antigen has been recognized, the adaptive immune system
creates an army of immune cells specifically designed to attack the antigen. Adaptive
immunity also includes a memory that makes future responses against a specific antigen
more efficient.

DIVISION OF IMMUNITY
Passive
Natural
Active
Adaptive
Immunity

Passive
Artificial

Immunity
Innate Immunity

Active

Definitions:
Antigen Any substance that stimulates an immune response in the body (especially the
production of Antibodies).
Pathogen Any disease-producing agent (especially a virus, bacterium or other microorganism).
Antibodies Large variety of proteins or substance normally present in the body or produced in
response to antigen which it neutralizes, thus producing an immune response.
Passive Immunity
Passive Immunity is the transfer of active immunity, in the form of readymade antibodies,
from one individual to another. It is conferred by an antibody produced in another host and may
be acquired naturally or artificially (through an antibody-containing preparation).
Passive Immunization is a preparation of antibodies that neutralizes a pathogen and is
administered before or around the time of known or potential exposure.
Active Immunity
Resistance developed in response to stimulus by an antigen (infecting agent or vaccine)
and is characterized by the production of antibodies by the host.
Active Immunization stimulates the hosts immune system to produce specific antibodies
or cellular immune responses or both which would protect against or eliminate a disease.

TYPES OF ADAPTIVE IMMUNITY

Naturally Acquired Active Immunity

Antigens enter the body naturally; body induces antibodies and specialized lymphocytes.
Can lasts up to few years or life-long.

Naturally Acquired Passive Immunity

Antibodies pass from mother to fetus via placenta or to infant via the mothers milk. Can
lasts up to weeks or months.

Artificially Acquired Active Immunity

Antigens are introduced in vaccines; body produces antibodies and specialized

lymphocytes. Can lasts up to few years or life-long.

Artificially Acquired Passive Immunity

Preformed antibodies in immune serum and introduced by injection. Can lasts up to 3

weeks or month.

Vaccines
A vaccine is an antigenic material that stimulates adaptive immunity to a disease. Vaccines
can prevent the effects of infection by many pathogens. Vaccines are generally considered to be
the most effective method of preventing infectious diseases.
History of Vaccines
Smallpox was the first disease people tried to prevent by purposely inoculating themselves
with other types of infections. Smallpox inoculation was started in India before 200 BC. In 1796
British physician Edward Jenner tested the possibility of using the cowpox vaccine as an
immunization for smallpox in humans for the first time. The word vaccination was first used by
Edward Jenner. Louis Pasteur furthered the concept through his pioneering work in microbiology.
Vaccination
Vaccination (Latin: vaccacow) is named because the first vaccine was derived from
a virus affecting cows, the relatively benign cowpox virus, which provides a degree of immunity
to smallpox, a contagious and deadly disease. The word "vaccination" was originally used
specifically to describe the injection of the smallpox vaccine.

Vaccination is a method of giving antigen to stimulate the immune response through active
immunization.

A vaccine is an immuno-biological substance designed to produce specific protection

against a given disease.

A vaccine is antigenic but not pathogenic.

4 Major Types of Vaccines

Live vaccines

Live Attenuated vaccines

Inactivated (killed vaccines)

Toxoids

Live Vaccines
Live vaccines are made from live infectious agents without any amendment.

The only live vaccine is Variola small pox vaccine, made of live vaccinia cow-pox virus
(not variola virus) which is not pathogenic but antigenic, giving cross immunity for
variola.

Live Attenuated (avirulent) Vaccines

Virulent pathogenic organisms are treated to become attenuated and avirulent but antigenic. They
have lost their capacity to induce full-blown disease but retain their immunogenicity.
Live Attenuated Vaccines can be used for:

Typhoid
Polio
Yellow fever
Measles
Mumps
Influenza

Inactivated (killed) vaccines

Organisms are killed or inactivated by heat or chemicals but remain antigenic. They are
usually safe but less effective than live attenuated vaccines. The only absolute
contraindication to their administration is a severe local or general reaction to a previous
dose.
Live Attenuated Vaccines can be used for:

Cholera
Pertussis
Rabies
Intra-muscular influenza
Japanese encephalitis

Toxoids
They are prepared by detoxifying the exotoxins of some bacteria rendering them antigenic
but not pathogenic. Adjuvant (e.g. alum precipitation) is used to increase the potency of
vaccine. In general toxoids are highly efficacious and safe immunizing agents.
Live Attenuated Vaccines can be used for:

Diphtheria
Tetanus

............END OF DISCUSSION...

TECHNICAL TERMS

Antigen Any substance that stimulates an immune response in the body (especially the
production of Antibodies).
Pathogen Any disease-producing agent (especially a virus, bacterium or other
microorganism).
Antibodies Large variety of proteins or substance normally present in the body or
produced in response to antigen which it neutralizes, thus producing an immune response.

REVIEW QUESTIONS
1. What is the relationship between Disease and Immunity?
2. What is the difference between the Communicable and Non-communicable diseases?
3. What are the four major types of Diseases?
4. What are the two types of Immunity?
5. What are the difference between the passive and active immunity?
6. Differentiate the four types of vaccines and its uses.

SUMMARY
In this report, it is discussed what is the definition of disease and immunity. Disease is a
particular abnormal condition, a disorder of a structure or function which affects part or all of an
organism and Immunity is the body's ability to fight off harmful micro-organisms that invade it.
The four main types of diseases are Pathogenic, Deficiency, Hereditary and Physiological
Diseases. Diseases are classified into two, it is the communicable and non-communicable
disease. Diseases can be acquired by airborne, infections, lifestyle and it can be also foodborne.
Acute, chronic, flare-up, refractory, progressive, clinical, subclinical and terminal phase are some
types of diseases.
the reporters gives also their thorough knowledge about the immunity, its two types are
innate or natural immunity adaptive or acquired immunity. Vaccine was defined in this report, a
vaccine is an antigenic material that stimulates adaptive immunity to a disease. Major types of
vaccines are live vaccines, live attenuated vaccines, inactivated (killed vaccines), and toxoids.

CONCLUSION
Therefore, it is concluded that being aware of different kinds of diseases, how it is being
acquire, and how it can be prevented is very important.